WASHINGTON - Cindy Sheehan, the California woman who has used her son’s death in Iraq to spur the anti-war movement, was arrested Monday while protesting outside the White House.

Sheehan and several dozen other protesters sat down on the sidewalk after marching along the pedestrian walkway on Pennsylvania Avenue. Police warned them three times that they were breaking the law by failing to move along, then began making arrests.

Sheehan, 48, was the first taken into custody. She stood up and was led to a police vehicle while protesters chanted, “The whole world is watching.”

Others who were arrested also cooperated with police. Sgt. Scott Fear, spokesman for the U.S. Park Police, said they would be charged with demonstrating without a permit, which is a misdemeanor.

If a citizen has to obtain a permit to demonstrate, what does this say about freedom of speech? What if the permit is denied?

...On Sunday, a rally supporting the war drew roughly 500 participants. Speakers included veterans of World War II and the war in Iraq, as well as family members of soldiers killed in Iraq.

“I would like to say to Cindy Sheehan and her supporters, ‘Don’t be a group of unthinking lemmings.’ It’s not pretty,” said Mitzy Kenny of Ridgeley, W.Va., whose husband died in Iraq last year. The anti-war demonstrations “can affect the war in a really negative way. It gives the enemy hope.”

I would like to say to Mitzy, the unthinking lemming that she is, that ending the war would give Americans hope and take away a reason for the enemy to exist.

If a citizen has to obtain a permit to demonstrate, what does this say about freedom of speech? What if the permit is denied?

That's the part that really disturbed me. As best I can tell from the news stories, it was a peaceful protest, so no reason to arrest anyone. To require a permit to protest on public property, in front of the White House no less, sounds like a clear first amendment violation to me!

I find it odd that all of a sudden, just because this zombie got arrested for not doing the simple task of getting a permit, you are saying that getting a permit is unconstitutional...

She had a permit, it's called the first amendment! As long as they were protesting in a peaceable manner and not putting anyone in harm's way (no rioting going on), then she shouldn't require a permit on public property. If they were on private property, that would be a different story, but then the charge would be trespassing, not protesting without a permit.

She had a permit, it's called the first amendment! As long as they were protesting in a peaceable manner and not putting anyone in harm's way (no rioting going on), then she shouldn't require a permit on public property. If they were on private property, that would be a different story, but then the charge would be trespassing, not protesting without a permit.

You can't just start protesting wherever you want to. What If i started a protest out infront of your driveway where you live. Public property... but I'm sure you'd get a little pissed. Thus, permits.

You can't just start protesting wherever you want to. What If i started a protest out infront of your driveway where you live. Public property... but I'm sure you'd get a little pissed. Thus, permits.

I'm no legal expert, buy my understanding is that in Canada as long as you're not on private property, you're protesting peacefully and your not obstructing someone's movement you have every right to protest there. You only need a permit for special instances.

So you wouldn't mind me and a few of my friends putting up a protest infront of your driveway? Maybe on a major highway that you need to use to get to work?

Yeah.. that's obstructing movement, if Cindy Sheehan was obstructing movement where she sat down and refused to move I would say that she was justifiably arrested... provided she was informed of this beforehand...

Yeah.. that's obstructing movement, if Cindy Sheehan was obstructing movement where she sat down and refused to move I would say that she was justifiably arrested... provided she was informed of this beforehand...

she sat down on a sidewalk in DC so that probably qualifies. And she WAS warned.

Anyhow it sounds like she was trying to get arrested to draw attention.

What I'm miffed about is the charge that she was arrested because she was protesting without a warrant.

Yeah.. that's obstructing movement, if Cindy Sheehan was obstructing movement where she sat down and refused to move I would say that she was justifiably arrested... provided she was informed of this beforehand...

Sheehan and several dozen other protesters sat down on the sidewalk after marching along the pedestrian walkway on Pennsylvania Avenue. Police warned them three times that they were breaking the law by failing to move along, then began making arrests.

Yes, obstructing movement.

And protesting is disturbing hte peace if you haven't realized that. Thus you give out permits so that the "peace" can be given a little detour so no problems arise.